High-Speed Microjets Issue From Bursting Oil Gland Reservoirs Of Citrus Fruit

Keywords

Biomaterial failure; Droplet velocity; Natural fluid dispersal; Newtonian jet instability; Pressure-vessel rupture

Abstract

The rupture of oil gland reservoirs housed near the outer surface of the citrus exocarp is a common experience to the discerning citrus consumer and bartenders the world over. These reservoirs often rupture outwardly in response to bending the peel, which compresses the soft material surrounding the reservoirs, the albedo, increasing fluid pressure in the reservoir. Ultimately, fluid pressure exceeds the failure strength of the outermost membrane, the flavedo. The ensuing high-velocity discharge of oil and exhaustive emptying of oil gland reservoirs creates a method for jetting small quantities of the aromatic oil. We compare this jetting behavior across five citrus hybrids through high-speed videography. The jetting oil undergoes an extreme acceleration to reach velocities in excess of 10 m/s. Through material characterization and finite element simulations, we rationalize the combination of tuned material properties and geometries enabling the internal reservoir pressures that produce explosive dispersal, finding the composite structure of the citrus peel is critical for microjet production.

Publication Date

6-26-2018

Publication Title

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume

115

Issue

26

Number of Pages

E5887-E5895

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720809115

Socpus ID

85049030119 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85049030119

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